Cord twisting machine



Dec. 11, 1951 G. F. WEINLAND CORD TWISTING MACHINE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Aug. l, 1950 DeC- 11, 1951. 'G. F. WEINLAND 2,578,618

l CORD TWISTING MACHINE Filed Aug. l, 1950 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 Patented Dec. 1l, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

1 The object of this invention is to provide a simple means, adapted to childrens hobby craft groups, for making cords of any desired thickv ness and length and also of varying designs and color combinations. By varying the number of threads or strings mounted on the twisting hooks, cords of different thickness can be made. By using different combinations of colored threads or strings, cords of many different color combinations can be made and by the use of different combinations of operating elements a variety of designs of cord can be made.

Since the laying of the strands and final twisting into the finished cord is not done mechanically but is a manual process this machine only twists the separate strands that are later formed into the final cord by manual manipulation.

With the above object in view the invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts as will hereinafter be set forth in the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

AFigure 1 is a rear view of the machine showing the method of turning the rotatable hooks marked HI to HIIJ shown on Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a side view of the machine. Figure 3 shows the front view of the machine with the ten hooks HI to HI that are turned by the means shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a cut away view of one of the rotatable hooks and its accompanying rotating wheel. Figure 5 is a view of the holding plate 38 with ten hooks corresponding to the rotatable hooks HI to HID of Figure 3.

Referring specifically to the drawings Il designates a plate mounted on a base I2, I3. This assembly is clamped to the edge of a table by means of two bolts I5 and I6 passing through the base I2 and bar I'I. These bolts are tightened by means of wing nuts I8 and I9, thus making a simple clamp. Through holes in the upright plate II, ten hooks HI to HIII extend. The shank end of hooks HI, H2 and H3 are secured by set screws to three pulley wheels 20, 2I and 22. Hook H s secured by a set screw to a larger pulley wheel 23. This pulley wheel 23 when turned by the means hereinafter described turns the pulley wheels 20, 2l and 22 by means of a small belt 24. Hooks H5, H6 and H'I are secured to cranks 25, 26 and 2'I extending through plate II. These cranks 25, 26 and 21 are turned simultaneously by the plate 28 as it is actuated manually in a circular direction. This plate 28 is caused to move'in a circular direction and the large pulley wheel 23 is caused to revolve simultaneously when the connecting bar 29 is moved with a circular motion by the operator who grasps the knob 30 on the connecting bar 25. Hooks H3, Hland HI 0 are secured by set screws to three gear wheels 3|, 32 and 33. These gear wheels or pinions are caused to revolve by the larger internal gear wheel 34. This internal gear wheel is caused to revolve by being connected by a belt 35 and pulley wheel 36 to an electric motor 31.

Figure 4 shows the means of fastening the hooks HI, H2 and H3 to their respective pulley wheels. The other rotatable hooks are fastened in a similar manner to their respective cranks or pinion wheels. Figure 5 shows the holding plate with its fixed hooks corresponding to the rotatable hooks HI to HIIJ of the main machine. In use this holding plate is held by a second operator while the thread is being mounted on the corresponding hooks and the first twisting operation is being made.

When in use the hooks HI to HIB turn in either a clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction de- D pending on the direction in which the knob 30 is caused to move and the direction of the revolution of the electric motor.

To operate, this cord twisting machine is clamped to the edge of a table by the bars I2 and I1 and the bolts 5 and I6 with their wing nuts IB and I9. One person holds the holding plate 38 with its ten hooks toward the cord twisting machine. The distance between may be any distance from one foot to fifty feet depending on the length of cord desired. String, cord or thread of silk, cotton, rayon or other fibrous material is then tied to a hook on the machine and over its corresponding hook on the holding plate 38 and back to the original hook where it is tied. Another color of string or thread may be used on another set of hooks and so forth on part or all of the hooks. After the strings or threads are mounted they are twisted in their individual strands by the electric motor or by the knob 3D and connecting bar 29 being caused to revolve. From this point on the forming of the one cord from the strands is no part of this invention. This nal process of forming the finished cord is done by taking advantage of the natural tendency of the twisted cord to untwist because of the torque and when the several strands are tied together they will twist around each other in a uniform pattern instead of untwisting. rThis last process is therefore a manual process, taking advantage of a method of forming cords from ancient times and is no part of this invention.

By varying the number of strings or threads mounted on the hooks; by varying the number of hooks used at one time, and by combining various colors and by mixing the types of string or thread used an almost limitless variety of cords can be made by using the same machine and the same method of manipulation.

Since the object of this invention is to provide a means for making cords of any desired thickness and length and also of varying designs and color combinations the different means used for turning the groups of rotatable twisting hooks have their distinct place and advantage. strands twisted on this machine are notnally twisted into a cord but are finished by manual manipulation no further coordinationrofv parts need be made than the coordination indicated between the twisting of strands by the pulley-wheel 2 3 and its rotatable twisting hooks H I, H2 and H3 and Ht and the plate 281- and its accompanying rotatable twisting hooks HHSfand'H:

It will be appreciated -thatwithmy machine Ait will be possible for children to make-very simply at will a great variety of interesting and colorful cords for many purposes. For example, by mounting ten strings of "the size usually spoken of as grocery twine, on each ofthe ten rotatable twisting hooksfwith their'corresponding hooks on the holding plate, twisting them into theten strands and manipulating them byv hand vassisted by the natural torque of the twisted strands, a cord one half inch in diameter can be made. Or by mountingthree silk threads on each of three hooksiin'a group vand twisting theminto strands then manipulating them as hereinbefore described a delicate cord suited for a childsl necklace orfor making of other objects results. Various modications may be made Vin the detailed` structure of the invention without departing'Y from the scope thereof.v For instance the plate l may be made of-a diierent shape thanherein pictured or the groups of rotatable twisting yhooks may bev disposed in a diiferent-position than herein pictured.

Iam `aware that cord, thread and Arope twisting machines' have been madeandusedin various forms from ancient times. These generally have Since.r the been made to complete the twisting operation of thestrands into the nishedrope or cord. I do not claim amachine to cover the usual method of making string or rope or cord.

Having now particularly described and shown the nature of my said invention and the manner in which it is to be used, I declare that what I claim is:

A cord twisting machine comprising a plate having a base thereon and attaching means associated with said base adapted to secure the plate to a supporting surface, a plurality of pulley wheels respectively journalled on said plate in a cluster, one of said pulley wheels being larger than the others, a pulley belt extending over all of said wheels so that rotation of the large wheel will cause rotation of the other wheel, hooks for receiving cords connected respectively to the pulley-wheels and extending outwardly from the oppositeside of the plate from which the pulley wheels extend,` a plurality of other hooks arranged in a cluster spaced from the first cluster of hooks and journalled respectively on said plate, cranks connected respectively with these last mentioned hooks and extending from the same side of the platefrom which the above mentioned pulleys extend and journalled respectively thereon, a common plate pivotally connected to the outer ends of all of said cranks, and a common bar extending between the large pulley wheel andthe common plate and having its ends respectively pivotally connected therewith and handle means on said bar whereby upon moving the handle means and the bar all of the pulleys of the clusters will be rotated to effect a twisting action of any cords assembled thereon, and plate means having xed hooksV and adapted to receive and retain the cords while they are being twisted.

GEORGE F. WEINLAND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 449,991 Avis Apr. 7, 1891 730,516/ Culver June 9; 1903 939,308 Personett Nov. 9, 1909 967,174 Davis Aug. 16, 1910 1,436,812 McMillan Nov. 28, 1922 1,590,576 Gunderson June 29, 1926 2,476,736` Kaplinsky July 19,` 1949v FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 666,220 France May 18, 1929 

